Kaffeinated Konversations with Bernard D’Sa

Kaffeinated Konversations Creative Content Writing Intern, Surbhi Sareen interviewed Bernard D’Sa, Founder of “Raindrops Company”. He rains upon us his answers.

 

SS: You were a writer and still are. What experience/s put you into the publisher role?

BD: I am a poet and writer first; I write thesis and research papers. My first experience with Publishing was in 2008 where few of my works were published and since then it has been a long journey. I have interacted and met many publishers and understood the difficulties and problems they undergo; from marketing to distribution. It been easier for me to look at this publishing segment from an author’s point of view.

SS: What is your view of the future of anthology in India? Will they last or it’s just a fad?

BD: In today’s internet age everything that we see is a craze and will eventually fade away. The concept of an anthology is a brilliant one. In a book you can get 10-15 different stories written by different people from various walks of life. This in return adds spice to the book and the reader enjoys it. The paperback books are going to stay and print media will always be the favorite one even thought everything around us is digitized.

SS: What’s the best way for a writer to be published? Self-published or Traditional Publishing?

BD: There is nothing called the best way as such; it basically depends on the manuscript. In 2008 we didn’t have many publishing houses and it was very difficult to get your book published but thanks to self-publishing we have a complete access and control to what happens to our manuscript and how far you want the book to reach.

 

SS: What do you enjoy more? Writing or Publishing?

BD: I enjoy writing the most but publishing is fun and more interesting. You get a different story then you plan out its editing part, the book cover and then discuss with the author and create marketing plans and pre-orders and book launches and then media, reviews and book reviews. We at Raindrops take ample of time before selecting the manuscripts and drafting out a plan on its execution.

 

SS:  Why the name “Raindrops”. How was the concept connected to publishing?

BD: RainDrops fall on everyone. The concept we have worked out is that every drop of rain counts. For example, if the drop falls on a leaf, it turns into a pearl and when it falls on the ground, it gives out nice fragrance. I find raindrops pretty brave and they are not afraid of falling. I come from an era where self-publishing was not everyone’s cup of tea. I wanted to create a platform wherein we have both published authors and amateurs sharing the poems and stories in the same book. We have created several anthologies wherein we have taken bestselling authors and also newbies and giving them a base to establish themselves

 

SS: What genre do you focus on mostly? Why?

BD: We are open to all genres but we are mostly focused on Poetry and Philosophy. There are very few publishing houses that support poetry and I find poetry dying as an art form. We support poetry and have various contests to help people to find out their hidden talent. Drenched Thoughts is such a platform for people to share the poems, one liners and rhyme to the given stanzas.

SS:  Who is your favorite author? Why?

BD: Dan Brown, the amount of research he does for his books is tremendous and the way he simplifies and puts across to the readers

Jeffrey Archer, his way of narrating is mind blowing and his presentation is the best.

And I consider myself lucky because I have met both of them

 

SS: Your favorite books? Why?

BD: I love reading books of various genres irrespective of any particular banner or author.

All Books by Robert Frost

Dan Brown- Angels and Demons

I have read all the religious holy books.

My favourite is The Bible; it always inspires and gives solace in times of trouble.

 

SS: Your views on publishing industry in India and its future?

BD: The publishing industry has a long way to go. Everything related to media, news, books, movies are interconnected with the publishing industry

There are many content oriented websites, eBooks coming into the scene and many major changes are underway. Everything is just via one click. As technology advances, we can hope that the industry will grow in abundance.

 

SS: When not writing or publishing, what do you enjoy doing?

BD: I love music. I have a collection of soulful music. I play the guitar and entertain myself. I am very active in the music industry too.

 

SS:  What are your plans with RainDrops?

BD: We have just restructured the way Raindrops functions giving way to more opportunities and being more author and reader friendly. We have increased our production and also our offline distribution network. In 2017, you will see us signing new authors and also collaborating with published authors to create something new and wonderful. We will be getting into regional books like Marathi and Hindi under Arusha Books banner and poetry related anthologies and book series coming under DrenchedThoughts.

Visit our newly redesigned website www.raindropscompany.com

 

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FOUNDER BIO:

Bernard D’sa is born and bred in Mumbai but settled down in Bangalore. He has a degree in English Literature and has also studied philosophy and spirituality. He writes a blog “Beautiful Inspirations” which is instrumental in inspiring and motivating masses .He is also a prolific writer of poetry and philosophy. You can find his recent work on Amazon, Flipkart and Infibeam. 

In 2009 he introduced a newsletter called Inspirational Times which had inspirational stories, quotes, and then he introduced a small booklet called Bernard Poems that were written by him. Later on he started writing love sonnets into a book called Collector’s Guide. Soon it became very well known among his friends and they began demanding for copies of all three. It then was too difficult .So he merged all three together into one giving a complete new platform to Beautiful Inspirations. And then from newsletters to book, emails to blog, Orkut to Facebook.

Beautiful Inspirations has been a name to be remembered…. The tag line goes very well stating… One Source, Many Inspirations…. keeping God as the main source of all inspirations.

He also writes on topics of Inspiration, Business, Philosophy, Spirituality, Arts and Poetry. He is involved in NGO activities and owns a publishing house “RainDrops Company”.

Follow him on Twitter: @BERNARDDSA
Add on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernard.dsa
Instagram: bernarddsaa

 

 

 

 

Kaffeinated Konversations with Vipul Madhani

Kaffeinated Konversations Creative Content Writing Intern, Surbhi Sareen interviewed Vipul Madhani, Founder of “Pustak Mandi“. He unravels his journey from then to now.

Vipul loves biking apart from delving into books

SS: How was the idea of “PustakMandi” born?

VM: Umm. Question everyone asked me and still asking. Sometimes I feel that this is why I made PustakMandi.

There is no limit of ideas in life but the one idea which can get you to achieve your dreams is difficult to find.

I always wanted to do something of my own. Like I always had a thought that what I have studied and learnt is good enough for letting me do something of my own. A boy with a thought of doing higher studies and shift to abroad has turned out in a business is something I still imagine. I always wanted to study and shift to abroad. Study for me was not just to pass exams but always it was like my passion. Though I realized it very late.

Soon after my grad, my dream of going out got shattered and ultimately I joined the Service Industry and tried hard to achieve my dreams. But what people say is correct that in IT you can’t do what you want. So soon I started my research and began to do what I am good at. Creating Web apps and researching about Online stuffs which was on the top 2 years ago. So I did lot of research and ultimately PustakMandi came into existence.

 

SS: Share the journey of the initial stages of PustakMandi and what it is today.

VM: My favorite thing it is.

Anything or everything in the start is complex. Higher the dreams more your struggle.

PustakMandi initially started with different idea but ultimately it went in a different way. Whole idea of PustakMandi was never for a Monetary Benefit but it was always to make a community. If I compare it with the PustakMandi which was started 2 years ago, we have diversified on a huge path and now PustakMandi is not just an e-ecommerce platform. People/Authors come here not just to purchase but they come to feel a homely shopping like they do in an actual store.

 

SS: With so many sites selling books and even apps too (along with giants like Amazon and Flipkart) how did you create market presence?

VM: This is common question to every entrepreneur now a day. I don’t know why this question comes whenever any new startup comes. But frankly competition word is not in my dictionary. During school days this word was something important but now this is just a word without meaning.

Must be wondering what kind of thinking I have. Now to be honest, if someone thinks that these are our competitors then they can never go ahead of them. Instead why don’t you think that you are the only one. You have to reach to the core of people. This is what I did and I am still doing. None of our features are related to other marketplaces. We are here to create our own community and that’s why we are specific to books. Now back on your question, Amazon and flipkart are doing their work and we are doing ours. Amazon was established in 1996 and they went popular in India now that to by support of Amazon US. But PustakMandi is Indian origin and doing good with its time. Also major thanks to people/Publishers/Authors who supported us in every step we kept. Soon we will be someone that people can’t stop themselves talking about us biut yes not on defeating anyone. Just being ourselves.

 SS: What’s the best thing about PustakMandi that attracts the book lovers?

VM: First of all, its name itself. PustakMandi, name says it all. Secondly its features which no site has. Plus, the facility. Now I can’t answer why we are good. That will be better answered by our customers.

 SS: You offer a range of services. Which of the services are in demand with your customers?

VM: There are many services like WhatsApp, book on request, featured books. We are coming up with more as well which have never come into existence.

We are just trying to be in sync with modern generation by keeping in mind that no old generation get impacted. We are trying to create a diversified platform which attracts both.

 SS: We know that bibliophiles find it difficult to part with their books. How comfortable are your customers in selling their books?

VM: Umm. This one is difficult. We don’t target to sell any specific book or of one author. We are a community where anyone or everyone can create his/her own attraction. We accept request of every author/Publisher/individuals. That’s what we believe. We don’t ignore anyone saying that we can’t feature them, nor we are accepting everyone. We are trying to be neutral so that no one thinks bad.

 SS: Who are the people behind PustakMandi? Do share about your team

VM: Majorly our customers/fans/Readers are behind PustakMandi. Without them it’s nothing.

But if you are asking about our core team, then they all are my best buddies of life from college. Few are unknown to me but yet dear to me. We have never met but working for and with PustakMandi like their baby. So yes PustakMandi is not because of people but it is for the people. And that’s my own life moto. To live for the people. This is just a step to reach my goal.

 SS: What are your future plans?

VM: There were lot of plans in the past like doing MS and shifting Abroad. But destiny took me here. Now if I say I need to make PustakMandi big and this is the plan, then I won’t be utmost honest as I am not god who can tell future. I am just a simple boy who is doing everything what every entrepreneur should do. No work is small or big. Just do it with full honesty. That will make your future automatically.

SS: Thanks a lot for giving your time for the interview and sharing the story of your rise in the media and publishing world!

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FOUNDER BIO:

Vipul Madhani is Founder and CEO of PustakMandi.com an online portal that connects bibliophiles in droves. Vipul started his career as a software engineer but found calling in the world of books where he felt the gap of readers and their books was wide. He founded PustakMandi on an idea and he wanted to test it. Little did he realize that it would grow more than his expectations and today he is completely devoted to rising it further.

Confessions of Bibliophile : My Youtube Channel

Confessions of Bibliophile

Episode 6 – My Youtube Channel

Hello lovelies,

I hope you are doing well. You must be thinking that I missed the previous episode update.. Actually, the previous episode was on Drama and Classics which I did live on Facebook where I had talked about the plays I was reading..

Today’s episode is about Book tubing and my brand new channel.. Actually, we all have that youtube channel with us when we make a Google or Gmail account but people like me who are naive never get to know this.. Recently, I have been following many booktube channels like Helly’s Bookstore, Finix Post by Manpreet Kaur, The Bookworm by Anmol and Sameeksha..These beautiful people have created a trend of Vlogging, Book tubing and some of them blog about lifestyle too.. Things keep on changing with passage of time.. I thought we need some professional thingy to start the YouTube channel so I started uploading the videos on my Facebook page. Later on, I realized that I need to make it properly if I have to start it..so, yesterday, I uploaded this unboxing video of Kaffeinated Konversations Subscription Box.. I was so excited.. Actually,  this one was January box video and February one I shall upload soon..

https://youtu.be/X7_TRgTU7To

I am still a learner and an explorer who is trying to find new ways of life.. Coming in front of camera and talking is not anyone’s cup of tea.. I have been a camera conscious and now, I am surprised by the change in me..I confidently go live on Facebook and Instagram.. And now this YouTube channel.. I am still at a learning stage so I would be needing your support for that.. Do support me by leaving your valuable suggestions, comments and also boost my morale by subscribing to my channel..

Kavita Singh has been a blessing in my life who with her innovative ideas inspired me so much that today I am able to host a channel and also this episode..

Stay tuned for more updates.. Till then enjoy your Sunday with my confessions.. Do like, comment and share this post..

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Author Note:

I am Surbhi Sareen, a bibliophile and content intern at Kaffeinated Konversations. I have started “Confessions of a Bibliophile”. This is the first episode of the series. I hope you like it. Stay tuned for more such confessions. You will get to know about many facts about the characters as well as the authors. I will surely do a salsa dance if you like, comment and share this post. The episode will be uploaded on Sundays so that you can enjoy your Sunday with my Confessions.

My Bibliophilic Confession

I got really fascinated by Surbhi Sareen’s Confessions of a Bibliophile weekly episodes so I thought today I will present my confessions as a bibliophile.

Here we go:

1. I have a weakness for vampires. I know they’re supposed to be blood suckers, monsters, but I find them hot, romantic, protective, poetic; just read Vampire Diaries, Twilight, Vampire Academy, you’ll know why I love Stefan, Edward and Dimitri
2. I have cried watching films and TV shows but till now only ONE book has made me cry and i.e. Me Before You. It’s shocking right? Even I think so, my brain needs rewiring.
3. When I am reading I always place myself as the female lead of the story and I go on imagining the scene as if it’s happening to me (I still wonder why I don’t cry!)
4. Once my friend had asked me, “Don’t you have sexual or romantic desires?” I had answered “No”. But the reality is, I don’t have to develop desires, because whenever I read intimate scenes in books my heart beats so fast as if I’m romancing the hero. All my pleasures are met by my beloved novels. (Don’t judge me please!)
5. I love books with bad-ass women characters. I can’t stand fainting-on-demand, flimsy female characters. Please! We women have evolved a lot!!!
6. If I ever date, I will date a bibliophile guy. I cannot be with a man with whom I cannot discuss my most favorite things – my books.
7. I dream of making a library in my house that every bibliophile will be jealous of.

 

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Author:

Priya Bhowal is a Creative Content Writing Intern at Kaffeinated Konversations. She was born and brought up in a West Bengal small town named Siliguri. Currently she’s in her final year of Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry, Zoology, Biotechnology (triple majors) from St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore. She lives, loves and breathes on novels, especially Fantasy, Romance and YA genres.

The Notebook *Book Review*

February fourteen ,the day would give chill to many .

Freshly bloomed carmine roses and milky white lilies will be garlanding the hands of the couples with a charismatic appearance resplendent Ferraro Rochers and vibrant gift wrappers will be dressing the occasion in a splendid mannerism .Candle lights will be escalating up to equalize the aura emitted by the moon.Altogether it would be a day of passion and obsession intertwined .To all the Bibliophiles who are on the single’s zone to lighten up your day ,  I would like to present you the book review of your all time favorite romantic novel.

So here we go……………

Blurb of the book:

North Carolina, 1946. Young Noah comes back to his birthplace after WWII to realise his dream of living in the big house near the River.
He really misses Allie, a beautiful girl he met seven years before and really loved in their short happy time together. They haven’t seen each other since then.
Destiny has decided to write a perfect love story for Noah and Allie. The most beautiful one can imagine. However, their relationship was not a fairy-tale …
“They didn’t agree on much. In fact they didn’t agree on anything. They fought all the time and challenged each other ever day. But despite their differences, they had one important thing in common. They were crazy about each other”.
The author:

Spark was born in Nebraska in 1965 and studied at the University of Notre Dame. He lives with his wife and five children in North Carolina and is commonly called “Love Poet”.

My take on the classic:

Last week when I was cleaning my book shelf with a grumpy face ,a old paperback caught my attention .Due to renting it to my peers often the book was in a not so presentable appearance .After arranging the books to proper format I just started to write the review for this much loved piece of art ,as I always say that Nicholas Sparks is an icon symbol for Valentine’s Day .To celebrate the day without him is something impossible .

Noah and Allie are the ones who connected Indian readers with Nicholas Sparks .Their mushy romance is so much more that the book wants to convey but it is true love that is exemplified.Some of the scenes are so cheesy yet heart warming .Some of the scenes are so predictable but yet it gives us a fast heart beat due to the connect we had with the characters .Noah and Allie’s love affair extends into old age, and unlike most love stories we see in books and films today, this story takes us beyond the mere beginning of a true love and all the way to the end – in the process, celebrating the sanctity of marriage.

The tone established by the narrator reveals the nature of the narrative and serves to pull in the reader by creating a sense of intimacy. This informal tone enables readers to connect with the narrator, becoming emotionally invested in the story. The informal tone and easy-to-read narrative are deceptive because the ideas and characters in The Notebook are not as simplistic. Sparks’ style enables him to both reach and connect with a wide audience.

The Notebook is ultimately an epic love story, where the underlying and most lasting message is that true love never dies. I highly recommended you to both read and watch this enchanting love story and get lost in the competing worlds of both language and imagery. Both are sure to impress.

 

My Review meter :

Book cover :

Header:

Logic :

Writing style :

Overall :

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REVIEWER:

Shelo Aura is Blogger Intern at Kaffeinated Konversations. She is currently pursuing B.A Honors at Madras University. She is a quizzer who has won many awards, rotaract president of college, book reviewer, secretary of college, speaker, amateur guitarist
and knows 3 languages .

Confessions of a Bibliophile – Episode 2

Episode2:  Embrace Me

Everyone has some hidden desires which they want to be fulfilled..

Well, Bibliophiles have some unique desires..They want to have a library..

Since I am a Bibliophile, I want a huge library at my house.. My room is an average room and its my heartiest desire to have a magnificent library somewhere.. At times I look at the pictures of the libraries..

I have a huge collection of books but the space is limited so they are either kept in cartons or in my suitcases.. It feels bad when you have to pack your books in your suitcases.. I have 6 suitcases and 6 cartons of books.. I badly want a space for my books where they can feel at home, where they can breathe, where they can be safe.. I guess I am more possessive about my books that my heart sinks when I have to lend my book to someone.. So, I always have a diary where I note down like to whom I have given my babies(books)..

At times I pray to God that give me loads of money so that I can buy books and build a library.. I work hard so that I can buy books and even fulfill that dream of building a library..

There are some of the pictures that I have selected for my dream Library that someday someone like Prince Charming would get it build for me.. Yes, the idea of Prince Charming comes from the books only..  😉

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Author’s Note:

Hi! I am Surbhi Sareen, a bibliophile. I have started “Confessions of a Bibliophile”. This is the second episode of the series. I hope you liked my previous confession..If you have liked this confession too then kindly like, comment and share.. You can also comment about your plans.. Feedbacks are welcomed.. Stay tuned for more stories and confessions of course! Till then stay healthy and Wise and remember that, You are beautiful! 

Confessions of a Bibliophile

Episode1- Marry Me Nolan Parker

 

If you are reading this confession then you are in love with books. Have you ever fallen for the characters in the novel? If your answer is Yes, then you are reading the right article.

I am in love with characters to such an extend that I can imagine them in my life. I can imagine that ruthless, handsome Heathcliff staring at me. I can feel the care of Augustus Waters. I can inhale the heavenly touch of Nolan Parker. And not to forget my dream teacher, Rowan Masters. I am in love with them all. Well, that is called the novel effect. It is a moment of happy dance for the authors if you remember their characters. The popularity of a character is a biggest achievement for the author.

Books are magical guys. Most of us say that books are our best friends but I say, Books can make you fall in love. The smell of books is mind blowing and when I inhale them, I just feel that I am in heaven. The yellow pages makes you admire them. Those thick classics are just so cool. My favourite character , whom I want to marry is, Nolan Parker.

Nolan Parker is the protagonist in Thirty Eight Days by Len Webster. I had no plans to read this book but I ended up downloading it on my kindle. As the story progressed I could feel the broad shoulders of Nolan Parker around me. The way he was looking at me with his hypnotic eyes, I almost froze. But he didn’t call Surbhi, he called me Clara Lawrence, yes , the female lead of Thirty Eight Days. I could just imagine him everywhere. He is a magical guy. His presence makes my knees go weak. An interesting fact about him is that he is so romantic and his way of proposing is so unique. Thats Nolan Parker akka Noel for you. If I get a chance, I will surely marry him.

 

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Author’s Note:

Hello lovelies,

I am Surbhi Sareen, a bibliophile. I have started “Confessions of a Bibliophile”. This is the first episode of the series. I hope you like it. Stay tuned for more such confessions. You will get to know about many facts about the characters as well as the authors. I will surely do a salsa dance if you like, comment and share this post. The episode will be uploaded on Sundays* so that you can enjoy your Sunday with my Confessions.

*Apologies from Kaffeinated Konversations for posting it on Monday, but now on you can expect Surbhi’s Confessions every Sunday.

Kaffeinated Konversations with Niranjan Navalgund

Life is a mystery and one can’t fathom how one thing connects with the other and yet we have the most wonderful mis-match of Chess and Writing. Introducing, Niranjan Navalgund a Chess Champion who strategically placed his words too and created an engaging novella ‘The Lively Library & An Unlikely Romance’ by Readomania. Kaffeinated Konversations is currently hosting a contest ‘Book Talks’ in association with Readomania and the book authored by Niranjan is the prize gift. In fact, it was this contest that brought us and Niranjan together and we have been talking ever since  🙂

Let’s start off by having #KaffeinatedKonversations with Niranjan…

KK: Where are you from?

Niranjan: I’m from Belagavi, North Karnataka. If you want to know more about my city, consider checking: https://niriwrites.wordpress.com/2015/11/28/namma-belagavi-our-belagavi/ 

(KK is itching to read, well, on with the konversations right now!)

KK: When and why did you begin writing?
Niranjan: I remember writing my first essay at the age of six. The exchange of letters with my great grandfather helped me in turning it into a habit. My parents are writers too! They have written several short stories and poems. Writing took a backseat after Chess became a priority. In 2014, I participated in a short story writing contest and Readomania selected my story and published it in their first anthology ‘Chronicles of Urban Nomads’.

Why did I begin writing? I began writing for the sake of it. I just liked doing it. In the recent years, I have found that writing is a great exercise for the soul too!

 

KK: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Niranjan:  I never really gave it a thought. Writing was just another activity I used to do. But, things changed after 2014.

 

KK: What inspired you to write the book “The Lively Library”?
Niranjan: Books have always been my best friends, I owe it to them. My first story ‘Hide & Seek’ and a short-film (B-Tweets) I co-wrote –both have bookish elements. Somewhere along the line, I conceived the concept and thought of executing it.

 

KK: How did you come up with the title?
Niranjan: I can write a novella on this topic! (Laughs) My working title was ‘Untitled’ and I got too attached to it. I was reluctant on changing it, but the team at Readomania helped me realize that there could be a better title. We had a lot of lovely options, but this title topped it all. We wanted ‘The Lively Library’ in the title and my good friend Shloka Shankar helped us by suggesting ‘The Lively Library & An Unlikely Romance’.

 

KK: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Niranjan: I will leave it to the readers to seek. The book is subject to implications at different levels

 

KK: What books have most influenced your life most?
Niranjan: A lot of books! I never expected to write a fantasy fiction, though. Books by Richard Bach, Agatha Christie, Paulo Coelho & J.K Rowling will always top the list.

 

KK: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Niranjan: Richard Bach and his Guru – Ray Bradbury

 

KK: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Niranjan: Readomania! I am glad The Lively Library found its home and all credit to Readomania
KK: What book are you reading now?

Niranjan: I am reading Em and the big Hoom by Jerry Pinto and liking it so far

 

KK: What are your current projects? Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Niranjan: I am working on chess articles at the moment. Apart from that, I try to write something every week. I try, but I am not always successful! I am sharing one experiment with you.
Here is the prompt given to me by Shloka:

Write a poem that tells a story. But here’s the twist – the story should be told backwards. The first line should say what happened last, and work its way through the past until you get to the beginning. Now, the story doesn’t have to be complicated (it’s probably better if it isn’t)!

Life of a Tea cup

This is a dream that came false;
As all the parts of me echo in tandem
threatening to bleed into your skin
I am forced to say ‘Don’t step on me, please’
The irony in play and the role I didn’t deserve
for dreaming a little dream
lured by facets of reality
Why can’t I abandon my present and grow back to past?
The lovely cup I was
A few minutes before she whirled me to him
Do they know of my kindness?
My deliberate missing him and falling heavy on to the ground, breaking into tiny shards?
How wonderful was my time at the store!
the dream of being a great cup
the longing to contain aroma of the tea leaves and coffee beans
the wish to comfort lips and souls
I was better at the shop
Virgin and free of vengeance.

(KK thinks this is an awesome experiment, making the poet really think!)

KK: Do you see writing as a career?
Niranjan: No, not now. Chess is my priority at the moment.

 

KK: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Niranjan: Going by the code of synchronicity, I wouldn’t change anything.

 

KK: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Niranjan: Writer’s Block! There are days when I cannot write and that is a tough time.

 

KK: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Niranjan: Richard Bach again! We have a lot of traits in common and his writings have always helped me in difficult moments.

 

KK: Who designed the covers?

Niranjan: Can you see the lovely book popping out of the bookshelf on the cover?  Yes, that was done by my friend- Omkar Math. He has done the illustrations for the book. The cover was designed by Indrajit Nandy.

The Lively Library Book Cover

 

KK: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Niranjan: The hardest part of writing the book was the transition or the changes in the drafts. The book went through no less than 25 drafts. Editor of the book – Lopamudra Banerjee, helped in fixing some gaps and that was a relief!

 

KK: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Niranjan: I would like to quote Ray Bradbury here: ‘Don’t think, Just write!’

 

KK: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Niranjan: Yes! The Lively Library is open. You can write to The Lively Library after reading the book: thelivelylibrary@gmail.com
The characters in the book are waiting to read your emails 
(I would love to know your thoughts about the book. If you like the book, consider spreading the word. Let your friends know that there is a library, where books come to life)

KK: Being proficient in Chess – What do you find most challenging – Playing Chess or Writing the Book?
Niranjan: I am not proficient yet! I am working on the game to get better. Chess and writing, both have their own challenges and I find it difficult to compare. Writing is a creative pursuit, while chess is both – a sport and a ground for creativity!

KK: Kaffeinated Konversations thanks you for your time and lovely answers to our questions. We wish you Bookmarked Luck always!

Niranjan: I loved answering your questions, Kavita! Thank you very much!

Connect to The Lively Library:

www.facebook.com/thelivelylibrary
www.instagram.com/thelivelylibrary
www.twitter.com/lively_library

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AUTHOR BIO:

Niranjan Navalgund is a young chess professional who derives great pleasure in learning about life through the game of chess. He is a former National U-17 Chess Champion and a Commonwealth Silver medalist in the U-18 Category He is a lover of words and occasionally tries his hand at writing stories and poems. His latest book ‘The Lively Library & An Unlikely Romance’ is published by Readomania. He believes that writing is a wonderful exercise for the soul. Being a bibliophile, he harbors a special interest in the New Age Philosophy. Unusual stories excite him. He hopes to visit the Panda Zoo, someday. Niranjan lives with his family in Belagavi.